Fireworks
by DanieXJ
Summary: 13th in my Holidays series. It's the famous Legaspi 4th of July party, and boy oh boy are there going to be some fireworks.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Fireworks

**Series:** #13 in Holidays Series

**Disclaimer**: Don't own most of the characters.

**A/N:** Argh... :) I keep telling myself that I'm going to do a lighthearted one and I keep not being able to. Doh!

* * *

As Di walked down the sidewalk towards what she had been told was the Legaspi residence she could already hear the party going on. She had no idea why she was even going. Kim Legaspi, the Interim Psych head had dropped the invitation on her unexpectedly. Of course, she could have, probably should have said no, but instead she was standing in the middle of the sidewalk telling herself it was so that she could report back to her fellow med students on their crazy, crazy Chief of the ER. She pushed through the gate into the sizable backyard and had to suppress a gasp. The place was packed with people, tall, short, most of them dark haired with a spattering of brunettes and blondes and only one red head that she could see from her vantage point. She  
frowned as a man by the punch bowl caught her eye and smiled, raising his glass.

A small body ran into her legs and she looked down. She blinked and looked down, he looked like the guy by the punch bowl. She looked back up, but the space by the bowl was empty.

The boy pulled at her pant leg. "Lady? I'm Henry..."

Di got down on one knee and held her hand out, "My name is Perdita."

Henry shook the hand as he had seen Kim and his Mama do, "A pretty name."

"Thank you. Yours is handsome too..."

Di moved away from the gate and sat down in the grass. "Are you a doctor too Per... Per..."

"How about we go with Di," Di smiled, "And no, not yet. I'm a student, still learning."

"You work with Mama?"

"I don't know, who's your Mom?"

A male voice spoke from above both of them, "Kerry Weaver."

Di swallowed as she looked up at the punch guy. "There wouldn't happen to be two of them runnin around?"

The man laughed and held a hand out to Di. Henry frowned at the two of them and wandered back towards the rest of the party. Di took a hold of the man's hand and was hauled to her feet. "Carlos Lopez."

Di frowned, "Di Carlisle. You're Henry's?"

"Uncle. Med student right?"

"Uh, yes, I'm gonna need a chart aren't I?"

Carlos chuckled, "If you get one, email it to me so I can figure out who's who too. For the record, I'm Henry's Uncle through my sister Sandy who was Henry's mother."

Di frowned, "I thought that Doctor Legaspi..."

"...is Kerry's Partner, wife, whatever. And Henry's mother too, yes she is. Sandy... she died four years ago."

Di put a hand to her head and took a breath, "Okay, you get to stay by my side and be my CarlosNotes." She shook her head, "I shouldn't have come."

Carlos smiled, "Hey, I for one am glad you did..." Di looked at Carlos with whatever bemusement she had left in her, "What, I'm single, you're single, there will be explosions later..."

"Oh, there will be?"

"Fireworks, I, of course, meant fireworks..."

"Uh huh..."

Carlos laughed, "I'm gonna shut up now."

Di chuckled right back, "Good choice Mr. Lopez."

* * *

"Flora."

Kim hugged her Aunt, Charles' older sister. She was only a bit shorter than Kim with salt and pepper hair and piercing blue eyes. "Kimberly, how are you doing?"

Kim smiled as she let go, "Better, much better than the last time you saw me. I saw you meet Henry."

Flora chuckled, "He is a charming young man. Though he does call you Kim."

"Aunt Flora..."

Flora wagged a finger, "Uh uh... you know who you call Mom has nothing to do with who pops you out."

A woman who looked Flora's age, though she had brown hair, approached them. Flora's nose twitched and she cleared her throat. "Kim, ah, this  
is Rachel Silvan."

"Hello."

Flora suddenly seemed more nervous than Kim had ever seen her. Kim shook Rachel's hand. "Good to meet you Rachel."

Then Flora just spit it out, it was her way, she rarely sugar coated everything. Still, if there had been anything to coat with the delightfully sweet substance it would have been her news. "We're together."

Rachel bit the inside of her lips to keep from laughing while Kim looked stunned.

Flora didn't like the silence, "Kimberly, say something, please."

Kim blew out a breath, "I think I need to sit down. Maybe a stiff drink."

Flora looked down for a moment and then shook her head and looked up. There was a fire in her eyes, "No, no, no. I barely blinked an eye  
when you came out to me young lady, don't go all..." Flora waved her hand, "...just don't."

Kim put an arm around her Aunt's shoulder. "Aunt Flora, I promise, I'm not judging at all, just trying to get the picture of you... and... which makes my mind go to my father and that just..."

Rachel couldn't help it, she started laughing and couldn't stop. Eventually she managed to catch her breath and gave Kim a smirk, "Old people don't have sex?"

Kim made a face and shook her head, "No one related to me directly does, ever, so, it just..." Kim shuddered.

Flora rolled her eyes, "Oh Kimberly, aren't you a Psychiatrist?"

"Yeah, and I don't know my patients... or have to go to fourth of july parties with them."

This made Flora and Rachel go quiet for a bit. Flora finally inclined her head, "Okay, good point. So... what's the secret handshake..."

Rachel chuckled again and Kim just shook her head. "I'm surrounded by comedians."

"And, apparently, you're better at turning women into Lesbians than the waves are turning shells to sand."

Kim gave Flora a whack on the shoulder, "Aunt Flora... you are just..."

Rachel spoke up, "Precious..."

"You haven't asked the why, how, when..."

Kim shrugged and gestured to a couple of lawn chairs and flopped on the ground in front of them. "I knew that you couldn't resist telling the story eventually." Kim paused and gave her Aunt a jab, "Oh, was it the DVDs I gave you..."

Flora sat down with only a bit of a grimace, "Xena: Warrior Princess did not turn me gay young lady. You are too cheeky for your own good you know that."

Kim smiled, "Kerry has said that on more than one occasion yes. So... spill."

* * *

"You didn't invite your sister to this shindig."

Kerry watched her son play with Charlie Legaspi with one eye as she talked to Randi. "I wasn't ready, I don't think she is either."

Randi glanced to where Kim was swinging Chloe around like a monkey. Her Aunt and a brunette Kerry didn't know were watching with amused  
looks on their faces. It was most interesting watching Kim in her native habitat. She was so at ease with her family, they could get angry at each other and love each other at the same time. She had seen Stewart and Mel get into what almost turned into a knock down drag out fight about some political thing or other and two minutes after the fight was over they were playing keep away with Mel's kid Charlie. It was a family dynamic that Kerry had never experienced.

Randi seemed to sense part of what was going through Kerry's mind, "This is weird, right?"

"A little bit, yes, it is." Kerry glanced over at Randi, "Even when my parents were alive it was just the three of us. There are a lot of Legaspi's and Sorens here, throw in some Lopezes."

Randi chuckled, "I know. Let's see, Charles, Flora, Brin, John and Keith. And Rose, Val, Brett, Roger, Nicole, James and Jeff, who are twins." Randi shook her head, "Need a Family Tree program to keep track of it all."

They both fell silent. Ra was the one who broke the silence, "So, how'd you two like the movie I recommended?"

Kerry laughed, "It was horrible. The acting was generally mediocre, and the script was just below ghastly, but the woman who played Sharon was pretty good, Jill Bennett I think, and the cinematography wasn't too bad. It had some internal truths about the world, and it was only eighty eight minutes." Kerry shook her head, "Sometimes... And, while aloe can probably grow in South America, San Pietro, wherever they were... the prop plant that was in the movie was definitely a house plant..." Kerry raised an eyebrow, "On the other hand, thanks to your movie I get to pick a non-action flick for the next movie we watch."

Randi took a faux bow from her waist. "Did I say it would work or what?"

Kerry inclined her head, "You did, Thank you."

"Doctor Weaver... Kerry... You, you thought you were straight before Kim right?"

Kerry nodded, "I did... Or..." Kerry trailed off, organizing her thoughts. Randi's question had come out of left field, dive bombed her off the Green Monster. "When I was a kid I barely knew any sex existed. Not in a creepy way, just... it never came up. It wasn't until..." Kerry closed her eyes, "College that my eyes were opened. But then, I don't know, when I looked at women, my few female friends I saw just that, friends. Maybe my sexuality changed somewhere between Ellis and Kim, or... what I think, maybe I had always been a lesbian and simply mistook my friendship with men for great love..."

"Hmmm..."

Kerry put a hand on Randi's shoulder, "In the end none of the pain and indecision, the fights with yourself over what box you fit into, none of it matters as long as you wind up with who is true in your heart, be that a Jack or Jacqueline."

"Right." Randi shook her head and caught sight of Carlos and Di out of the corner of her eye, "Uh oh... Doctor Weaver, I think Carlos is about to be both your brother in law and son in law."

Kerry's head whipped around and she focused her gaze on Randi. "How did you know?"

"I know everything Doctor Weaver."

"Who else knows?"

"No one..." She held up three fingers in a Girl Scout salute. "I promise. I'm just... me. Sometimes I can see stuff that other's don't seem to. A defense mechanism I think. To me, Di seems to be your clone sometimes."

Kerry looked over at Carlos and Di and then turned away. "God Randi, I thought they were talking, that's not talking."

Randi chuckled as Kerry felt Kim slide in behind her on the picnic table's bench. "What's not talking." Kim followed Kerry's gaze, "That, you are correct luv, is not talking." Kim chuckled and got an elbow in the gut.

Randi shook her head. "You two."

Kim smirked over Kerry's head, "Are horribly made for each other and just reek of dissatisfaction."

Randi rolled her eyes, "Sometimes I don't get half of what comes out of your mouth Kim. So, when's this softball thing gonna get under way, it's supposed to be a yearly epic."

Kerry groaned, "Softball..."

Kim smiled as she stood, "Right... ah damn."

Kerry glanced up and over at what had caught Kim's eye, "Ah, he was not invited. And there goes your father."

* * *

"Can I help you?"

Ken glanced up at the imposing man. "Here for the party..."

Charles frowned, "Who are you exactly?"

Ken patted Charles on the shoulder, "Probably a man you'll need in a few years. The name's Ken Court."

Kim stopped next to her father. "What are you doing here Ken?"

His gaze dismissed Charles and pinned Kim, "What my ex can't fight her own battles? I bet she's even cool now. Some of us didn't fall in love with a whole woman, has she even told you she used to use a crutch, pretty dependent on it if I remember?"

Kim's cheek twitched, but she successfully pushed down the urge to break Ken's nose into bite sized pieces. A smirk came to her face, "We were just about to play softball. You versus me. I'll even let you choose first."

Ken stood, unmoving for a moment and then nodded, "What're the stakes?"

"You win, I give you my recommendation for Chief of Staff. I win, you leave Ker the hell alone. Period."

Kim stuck out her hand and after a minute Ken shook it. "My first pick is Kerry."

Kim inclined her head, "Of course it is. I choose Craig."

* * *

Flora shook her head from the sidelines in her folding chair. "Crazy... this is crazy. Two doctors... crazy..."

Almost everyone who had attended the party was playing from Rose and Charles to Rose's older and grayer brother James Soren. Even Brandon Legaspi, Craig's son, was playing centerfield.

The most interesting part of the whole game was the sight of Beverly, Craig's wife umpping from behind home plate, way behind home plate.

Flora smiled as Henry and Charlie chattered along, not paying attention to the game at all, and her gaze strayed back to the game. She couldn't believe that her niece, that Kim had bet on the annual legs softball game, and yet, there they were. The bases were loaded, bottom of the ninth and Evil Ken's Team, as Flora had started thinking of it was up at bat and down by one run.

Kim stood on the pitcher's mound and tossed the softball straight up as she looked around. Kerry was up after the red head's ex-husband, but it was Beverly who didn't look so well.

She shrugged and before Ken could blink or duck out of the way the softball whacked into his stomach at full speed. He was up and started to charge at Kim, but Kim's younger, but much bigger brother was behind the plate playing catcher. Craig grabbed Ken in a bear hug and didn't let him go. Craig glanced over the thrashing man's head and raised an eyebrow. Kim shrugged.

Kim had been right about Beverly though. She took everyone's eyes and attention off Craig and Ken as she issued a drawn out groan. Kerry was the closest and caught her before she hit the ground. Kim was there a moment later. "Water?"

Kerry nodded, "Water."

"Ambulance?"

Kerry shook her head, "No, Bev, who's your doctor?"

"Coburn."

A small smiled came to Kerry's face, "Of course she is. Craig."

Craig appeared and glanced over at Kim. "You'll bring, Brandon, Sarah, Chloe?"

Kim nodded, "Go... go..."

Kim turned and found herself face to face with Ken. "This game isn't over."

Kim started to speak but Kerry spoke first, "Now is not the time. And the game is in fact over. It was over years ago. I love Kim, that won't change because of some... because of anything. Get that through your thick head."

With that she stormed off, pulling Kim along with her. Ken watched them go and turned, since it seemed like a good time to beat a hasty retreat. He didn't get to. The Lopez brothers, Eduardo and Carlos, stood next to each other. Both had their arms crossed over their chests, and neither looked happy.

It was Carlos who spoke, "Don't screw with Kerry."

Ken looked from brother to brother, and then over at Charles and Craig. "You people are crazy. She's a bitch, she's unlovable, believe me, I tried..."

It was Charles who spoke, "Go home Doctor Court, before my son forgets that he's a law abiding public servant of Chicago and beats your head in."

Ken looked Charles up and down and then shrugged, "Y'all have fun."

Craig frowned at Ken's retreating back, "He still loves her doesn't he..."

Charles shook his head, "I'm not going anywhere near there. Let's close down this party and get over to the hospital."


	2. Chapter 2

Kim took her arm down from Craig's shoulders and walked back over to where Kerry was sitting and slumped down next to her. "They've taken her in."

"C-section?"

Kim nodded and closed her eyes, "God, this sucks." Kerry nodded, "This is their last."

Kerry nearly jumped as Kim swung around in her chair and gripped both of Kerry's hands. "Do you want more kids?"

Kerry blinked, "I don't... I don't know. Do I have to decide now?"

"What?" Kim dropped one of Kerry's hands and put it over her eyes, "That didn't come out right. Of course not..." She looked up and watched her father pace. "I...I have this big family gene I think."

Kerry gave Kim a gentle push, "Is that its technical name?"

This pulled a smile from Kim, "Probably not. I'm sorry, this was supposed to be a fun, relaxing day, and yet here we are, at County hoping that Beverly and her child is okay, and going to miss the fireworks."

Kerry frowned, "Kim, what's really wrong?" Kim shook her head, but stayed silent. Kerry spoke again, "Randi thinks she's gay."

Kim looked over and held up a finger, "I take that and raise you a... my Aunt Flora is shackin' up with a lady friend."

Kerry paused and then nodded, "You win... Kim... Bev will be okay."

Kim leaned her head back against the wall. "I hope so. Where'd Henry get off to?"

"Henry and Carlos had their heads together going towards the Caf."

Kim let a short burst of laughter out, "Those two get into more trouble than he and I do..."

* * *

"Big lady had her baby?"

Carlos smiled as he hefted Henry into his arms, "She is right now, and her name is Beverly."

Henry nodded and then looked one way, then the other for either Kim or his Mama. "Ice cream now?"

Carlos cleared his throat, "Later, how about tomorrow when we're out... okay?"

"Okay, I did it right?"

Carlos ruffled Henry's hair, "Perfectly my perfect Nephew... But remember, this is just between us."

"I remember, I'm not dumb..."

* * *

Don dodged to one side as a handful of pens flew by him. "Ken, Kenneth, calm yourself son. What has you spitting nails." Don glanced down. "Or more specifically pens?"

Ken shook his head, "Telling you would be no different than telling everyone else in this place. All of a sudden she walks on water."

"Ken, I'm still not sure I understand. You're a very successful Cardiac Surgeon, well respected, your former boss said you never lacked for... companionship. Why come here?"

Ken slapped his hand into Don's with a bang, "I'm not, I'm gone..."

Don blinked as Ken stalked away. Ken's ID was in his hand, which stung a mite. Don closed his eyes, "I am too old for this crap."

* * *

Kim flipped the light on in her office and jumped. She put a hand to her chest. "Hell Carl." She shook her head, "What's up?"

"I'm not coming back to County."

Kim shook her head, "No, I'm doing this job well because you're coming back Carl. I'm holding your seat."

Carl stood, "No, you're doing a hell of a job because you're good at it. I mean, talking to the nurses, you walk on water and I'm Judas."

"Carl..."

Carl held up his hands, "Hey. I'm happy, you're happy..." Kim shot Carl a look, "...ish... This... little medical problem..." Kim rolled her eyes, "...was the best thing that could have happened to me."

Kim hurfed a breath and pulled Carl into a hug, "The things I do..."

Carl chuckled.

* * *

Lori sat down next to Kerry, "Where's my sister?"

"Most likely in her office."

Kerry looked up and stood as Janet Coburn approached. "Bev is okay, and little Harvey is okay. Ten fingers, ten toes."

Kerry let out a breath, "Kim will be relieved. Thank you Janet." The OBGYN inclined her head and went back towards the rooms. Kerry made her way towards the Nurses' station. She jumped back when Ken appeared in front of her nose and pushed her backwards. She hadn't been ready for it, and so went sprawling on the floor, her head bouncing like a basketball off the tiles.

Kerry blinked, not quite believing what she was seeing. All of a sudden Ken was flying over the desk and banging behind it. Kerry knew it wasn't Kim, she looked over with a frown, "Craig?"

Craig didn't pay attention to Ken, he knelt down next to Kerry next to Lori. "Are you okay?"

Kerry nodded slowly as she sat up and looked around, "Where's Ken?"

Craig didn't respond to her question, "Are you okay Kerry?"

Kerry nodded, "I'm fine, I'm fine."

Kim's head appeared and then Henry's. "Floor party..."

Kerry smiled and held a hand up. She had to hide a smile as the three Legaspi siblings nearly bumped heads leaning down with a hand up. Henry actually did laugh. Kerry took Kim's hand and stood.

Kim looked worried, "What happened?"

Kerry shook her head, "Just Ken. Craig here..." She put a hand on Craig's arm. "Came to my rescue."

Kim grabbed her younger brother's other arm and yanked him towards the hall. "We're going to see your wife, and on the way you get to tell me  
exactly what happened..."

Kerry took Henry's hand as Kim and Craig moved off. She shook her head, "Well, at least we haven't missed the Fireworks."

Henry's face lit up, "We can go?"

She gave him a pat on the back, "Go round up your Uncles and we'll barely make it."

Henry started to run away, but after two steps, seemed to realize what he was doing and settled into a fast walk.

Lois shook her head at the entire scene. "I'll tell my sis."

"Thank you."

* * *

Fin ~ March 8th, 2008


End file.
